Cinetrain Project: Q&A
Tatiana Petrik (producer): Guillaume came up with the idea of following in the footsteps of Medvedkin, who launched the Soviet Cinetrain a century ago.
We had more than 100 applications for the seven director seats. Seven directors, seven operators, etc...
Robin Dimet (director, France): Of course, it was very hard. We stayed three days in each city ā€" you're there with a camera and the operator, and people are unwilling to make immediate contact...
Mark Franchetti (journalist): For me, the most interesting aspect is the reaction of the public, the audience. Because it's a pretty bold thing to do when you don't know Russia that well: stay 2-3 days in a townā
...shoot a film, and then show it to a Russian. I was surprised that you saw the funny side, to be honest. I didn't find it all that funny.
You could have been offended. It would be OK if you weren't that interested in it: what difference does it make to me? I'm Russian, I live here, and along comes a foreigner, just think...
I can safely say, as someone who's been writing about Russia for the past 16 years, that in the West people naturally have preconceptions.
We, like you, are the victims of our own propaganda. You think that you are surrounded and that we want you to be weak. In the West, on the contrary, the first reaction to Russia is usually negative.
What impressed you most of all? Benny Jaberg (director, Switzerland)
Do you think that Russians are more reserved than Swiss?
How did you managed to get closer to Russian people being so short in time?
Stephen Bukas (operator, Germany)
So vodka is not a stereotype but a reality?